


The Road Less Traveled

by Ravanne



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Kurtbastian, M/M, Not Blaine or Klaine Friendly, Not Rachel Friendly, Slow Burn, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:01:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29907021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravanne/pseuds/Ravanne
Summary: Kurt felt like he'd been left with nothing after being rejected from NYADA. After so many times of doing his best, only to be left disappointed, Kurt just didn't think he had it in him to keep trying. He might be in New York, but his dreams seemed no closer to being fulfilled and he was on the verge of giving up. Sometimes, though, the path that you find yourself on takes you to a new and unexpected destination.
Relationships: Kurt Hummel/Sebastian Smythe
Comments: 45
Kudos: 63





	The Road Less Traveled

Kurt had learned from years of past experience that it was impossible to tell which were those moments that would inexorably shift the direction of one’s life. It was only in hindsight that those events, some of which seemed so inconsequential at the time, would become apparent in their importance. The small victories and colossal disappointments, the chance meetings and myriad of daily events that could make monumental changes in fate. The posting of a sign-up sheet for a high school show choir, or a job interview that turned into an unexpected opportunity. It was when he looked back that Kurt was able to pick out all the moments that lead him to where he stood at that moment.

Coming to New York after being rejected from NYADA had very much been a leap of faith. He arrived with nothing more that a head full of dreams, a fashion blog with a modest following and an emergency credit card. He was still battling the monumental disappointment of failing to get admitted to NYADA despite having given the audition performance of his life and it had been hard to pick himself up yet again.

Kurt had known all his life what he wanted; to perform and sing. It had been his dream since he was a small child, one that was nurtured by his mother and encouraged by his father. He knew that he had the talent, but it seemed that there was always something standing in his way. Back in high school, Kurt was seen as too odd, too unique and too gay to be given the opportunities that were lavished on others that weren’t any more talented but were more conventional. He’d had a very brief moment when he thought that he just might have overcome those obstructions after being praised at his audition by NYADA’s Dean, only to find those hopes crushes when he read the letter advising that he had not been accepted for the incoming class.

He wasn’t foolish enough to think that he would show up in New York and immediately set the theater world on fire. Those were flights of fancy more suited to Rachel, who somehow always seemed to overcome whatever small setbacks she’d suffered and win the big prizes. He’d expected hard work, battling to get even the smallest chance to prove himself. Kurt expected rejections and challenges standing in his way, but all he wanted was a fair chance. Just a moment to prove he had what it took. But there was always the small voice in his mind warning that if given how his very best was never enough in the past, what would future attempts gain him but further rejections and disappointment?

Blaine was sympathetic, and Kurt was grateful that his boyfriend encouraged him to leave Lima and seek his fortunes in New York. Kurt had been so thankful to have a partner that loved him enough to let him pursue his own dreams. That was until the evening when Blaine appeared at door to Kurt’s home with a bouquet of red roses, declarations of love and a secret that once revealed shattered Kurt’s heart. It ended up being yet another moment where Kurt thought that he would find happiness only to be left crushed and bleeding afterwards.

The one thing that Kurt felt he had going in his favor was his job, and he didn’t think he would have kept his sanity if it hadn’t been for that. Working for Isabelle Wright had turned into an experience that he hadn’t expected when she took him on as her intern/assistant, but one that he grew to cherish. The petite whirlwind in Jimmy Choo pumps had taken him under her fabulously dressed wing and declared them kindred spirits. She stated with a wisdom gained through overcoming her own professional hardships that he had a future in the fashion world if he wanted to pursue that career. She respected his eye for design and insisted that his input be respected despite his role as just an administrative assistant. His boss and coworkers thought highly of him and routinely sought out his opinions. After being sidelined and ignored for so long, it had been a refreshing and gratifying change.

Isabelle had seen the sketches in his portfolio and had been dropping more than a few less than subtle hints that he should consider applying to Parsons or FIT and study fashion design seriously. She was constantly introducing him to designers and the heads of major fashion houses that would give him a leg up in his career if he wanted. Kurt was deeply grateful and gratified by her efforts on his behalf, but he couldn’t help from feeling that if he pursued a fashion career that it would be an admission of failure. That his true dream would never be realized and no matter how successful he might become in the fashion industry, it would always be something of a consolation prize.

It certainly didn’t help living with Rachel and seeing her swan about as she seemed to have found at NYADA the same kind of encouragement and near favoritism that she’d always enjoyed. Kurt didn’t want to be the kind of person that envied the accomplishments of his friends, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of resentment the curdled in his stomach every time Rachel talked about what happened in her classes or the compliments she received from the same Dean that had rejected him.

Kurt knew that the odds were against him, but he resolved to give himself the opportunity give his dreams one more try. He would try again for NYADA, taking advantage of the opportunity to resubmit for the spring semester and have his application reconsidered and to apply other schools with theater programs. This was his last shot, he told himself firmly. If that didn’t pan out, then he would have to seriously reevaluate his options and perhaps just accept that the world wasn’t interested in him as a performer. Rachel might encourage him to never give up, but she wasn’t the one facing rejection at every single turn.

It was a normal day at the Vogue offices, with the usual barely controlled chaos that he’d gotten used to. There were always a million things happening at once and Kurt tried to make himself useful by taking on some of the mundane tasks so Isabelle could focus on more important matters. He was seated at his desk outside her office, doing some copywriting when he heard his boss call out to him.

“Kurt? Can you come in here?”

Kurt dropped what he was doing and slid out from behind his tiny desk, grabbing a steno pad and pen in case he needed to jot down some note for himself as there was no telling what she might need. Isabelle was sitting her desk behind a stack of files and mock-ups, doing her usual routine of juggling flaming chain saws. Kurt knew that to an outsider her desk might appear to be a mess but she did have a system, and woe be to anyone who disturbed it in an effort to neaten things up.

She looked up at him with a slightly regretful expression. “Kurt, I need a favor,” she sighed, smoothing back her hair. “I know it’s not your usual job, but this would be an enormous help for me.”

“What is it?” Kurt asked curiously. “I’m happy to help however I can.”

She smiled thankfully. “We’ve got Melanie Lamanna arriving in about fifteen minutes for her photo shoot and follow up interview. Tanya called out sick and with everyone working on the spring issue, I really need for someone to shadow her and make sure she gets to where she needs to be. I’ve got her schedule right here and it’s really important that we keep to it as closely as possible or she’s going to be here all night.”

Kurt knew the schedule because he’d typed it out once the current darling of the indie film circuit had confirmed with their office, and he mentally congratulated himself for not allowing any annoyance to appear in his face. He’d been working at Vogue long enough and had been around enough starlets and models to dread the assignment. He had more than enough to do with his daily duties, and catering to the whims of a spoiled diva who would probably want her mixed nuts sorted and her water with lemon warmed to just the right temperature did not appeal. If he wanted to deal with diva antics, he had Rachel for that and had the luxury of being able to tell her off when he’d had enough.

But he owed Isabelle more than he ever could express and he couldn’t leave her in the lurch. Kurt knew that everyone ahead of him on the food chain was busy with more important tasks than babysitting a guest. As the relatively “new kid”, he wasn’t really in a position to push back and plead that he was too busy. “Anything specific that I need to worry about with her?” he asked, hoping that this wasn’t going to be as trying as he was dreading.

“No, I’m not expecting her to be problematic. Just be prepared to help out and run any errands she might need,” Isabelle instructed. “You know… like getting coffee and making sure that her lunch order doesn’t get lost. Make sure she gets to all her appointments and keep her from getting sidetracked while she’s here.”

Kurt nodded, accepting the assignment with grace and hoping to put the best face on things. He hurried to the bathroom to check his outfit and comb his hair, wanting to look as professional and put together as possible. His outfit for the day was one of his more fashion forward ones; a pair of Balenciagia military styled pants paired with his black Doc Martins and a Robert Graham silk bomber jacket. It was a little out there, but it suited his workplace. As he returned to Isabelle’s office, he found that their guest had just arrived.

“Kurt… perfect timing,” Isabelle complimented as he stepped in to meet his assignment. “I was just telling Melanie that you’ll be her guide while she’s with us today.”

Kurt smiled in greeting at the young woman seated by Isabelle’s desk, immediately recognizing her striking auburn hair and vibrant hazel eyes from several recent films. Even dressed in jeans and a leather blazer, she was beautiful in a cool, effortless manner that he was a trifle jealous of. “A pleasure,” he said as sincerely as he could manage, holding out his hand and hoping that she wasn’t going to make his life difficult for the next few hours.

To his relief, Melanie accepted his handshake readily, giving him a broad and open smile that made her already pretty features positively light up. “It’s so nice to meet you,” she insisted. “Isabelle has been telling me that she’d be totally lost without you.”

Kurt couldn’t help from turning a wide grin to his boss. “I doubt that, because she’s absolutely amazing,” he claimed.

Isabelle’s blue eyes twinkled at the word of praise from her favorite assistant. “Well, you’ll be in good hands, Melanie,” she assured the actress. “Kurt will take good care of you.”

Kurt turned to the actress. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll bring you down to Make Up so they can get you started. Brian is going to meet us there.”

The actress smiled and got to her feet, picking up her handbag and following Kurt out of the office. “Thank you so much,” she said sincerely as they walked to the elevator. “This place is so big… I know that I’d get lost just looking for the bathroom.”

“I know,” Kurt agreed, nimbly dodging an assistant wheeling a rack full of clothes to one of the conference rooms. “My first day here I was trying to find my way to Wardrobe and ended up in Accounting.”

The young woman laughed brightly and Kurt found it hard not to smile in response. The actress seemed nice enough and it looked like he might have lucked out. Hopefully his impression of her was right and the day wouldn’t turn out as annoying as he’d feared. It wasn’t often when he had to deal with someone famous who ended up being so down to eath.

Once Melanie was settled in the makeup chair with the artist reviewing the plans for the photo shoot, she looked up to Kurt with a wistful expression. “I really hate to ask this, but I’m absolutely dying for some caffeine,” she all but pleaded. “I caught the red-eye from L.A. and I think that my brain is still on west coast time.”

Kurt couldn’t help but appreciate that she hadn’t made her request a demand and he considered the best way he could comply. “I’d get you something from the break room, but it’s pretty awful,” he advised with a smile. “There’s a Starbucks right down the block if that’s okay with you. I could be back in just a few minutes.”

“Oh, that would be perfect,” the actress sighed. She dug into her overstuffed bag for her wallet and handed him a twenty. “I’d love a flat white with soy milk. And please… make sure you get yourself something too!”

Surprised but appreciative of the bit of generosity, Kurt hurried off on her errand, returning with her grande sized drink and handed it off to the appreciative actress.

“Thank you!” she exclaimed, sipping happily and giving a sigh of relief. “I might actually survive today.”

“You’ll be fine,” Kurt assured her, taking a sip of his cold brew. “They should be able to get all the shots they need by mid-afternoon, so you’ll have plenty of time for your interview.”

The pretty young woman winced a bit. “I’m going to let you in on a secret… I hate doing those things,” she admitted sheepishly. “They always try to get you to really open up and I try to keep my personal life out of the media.”

Kurt nodded understandingly, appreciating her situation. His father had found himself in a similar predicament when he was running for office, not wanting his family to be impacted by media attention and having their lives disrupted. Finn didn’t seem to mind it so much but Kurt knew that if he was going to succeed in his chosen career, it couldn’t be because his father had some political influence.

Even given that all he really knew about the actress’s background was what she was willing to reveal to the public, Kurt understood why she tended to keep the press at arm’s length. Her long-term boyfriend wasn’t an actor and didn’t need his life and business upended as a result of her fame. That wasn’t to mention how her brother’s disabilities would make it impossible for the young man to deal with that kind of scrutiny. Even growing up as an only child for most of his life, Kurt understood how life with a special-needs sibling was enough of a challenge, but one who was as profoundly disabled as Melanie’s brother was would certainly justify her desire to keep as much of her private life private as she could manage.

“You don’t have to worry,” Kurt promised with a reassuring smile. “Simone is doing the interview and she’s really good. She knows what’s off limits and it’s just to supplement the phone interview that you did last week.”

The actress made an effort to relax a bit at the assurance that her privacy would be respected, letting the makeup artists worth their magic. Kurt knew that the theme of the photo shoot was an updated version of the Mod culture from the 1960s to pay homage to the setting of her latest film. He had to admit that the look suited Melanie very well. The dark eyeliner and thick curtain of bangs drew attention to her multihued eyes and made her look extremely sexy. Once her makeup was done, Kurt guided her down to the studio where the photographer and wardrobe team was waiting for them.

“What do you think?” Melanie asked, posing in the vibrant color block minidress that had been selected for her.

Kurt cocked his head. “It’s good,” he insisted. “You’ve certainly got the legs for it, and it manages to look modern while still a little retro. I like it.”

Melanie smiled, seeming to appreciate his feedback and allowed herself to be guided to the set. The photographer took numerous shots in that outfit, posing her in both stationary and active poses before she was pulled out to touch up her makeup and an outfit change.

“How about this one?” Kurt proposed, holding up a dress with bell sleeves and a bold paisley pattern. “I think that the color will suit you.”

“That’s a good one,” the photographer agreed as he set up his equipment for the next shots. He nodded to Kurt approvingly. “Isabelle is right… you’ve got a good eye.”

Melanie smiled and accepted the dress, moving to the privacy area to change. She emerged a few minutes later in Kurt’s choice and a pair of white go-go boots that drew the eye to her long, slender legs. The next outfit Kurt pulled for her was a smart pair of slim fit trousers and a brightly colored trench coat that melded the modern and retro nicely. The actress seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself now, discussing fashion with Kurt and gossiping about the antics of a well-known actor that she’d just filmed with that she couldn’t stand. It ended up making what could have been a long day much more enjoyable for both of them.

“You’re really good at this,” Melanie acknowledged gratefully as the hair stylist worked on her between another outfit change. She took a sip from the bottle of water Kurt had procured for her, shrugging a little. “I have no idea how to put outfits together like this and I’d probably look like an unmade bed all the time if I didn’t have my stylist.”

Kurt nodded understandingly, having gotten the impression that when left to her own devices, Melanie was a pretty casual dresser. “I always loved dressing up,” he admitted. “Maybe it’s because I love performing so much. My clothing choices are sometimes influenced by how I want people to perceive me on a given day.”

“You’re an actor? I would have guessed that fashion was your primary interest going by the killer outfit you’ve got on,” Melanie stated, eyeing his rather daring fashion choices.

“Well, I’d like to be an actor,” he admitted. “I’d always dreamed of being on the stage, since I was a little kid. I was in my school’s glee club and our production of West Side Story in my senior year. It was only a small part, but…”

“Ah ah,” she reproached playfully, wagging her finger at Kurt. “Remember what they say about small parts.”

Kurt smiled, thinking about the old cliché about small roles and small actors. Rachel would hardly agree, as in her world there were only stars that those that existed to showcase the stars. It was an adage that he tried to use to mentally support himself whenever he was designated in yet another supporting role.

“It’s something that I’m working towards,” he explained. “I’d applied to NYADA last year but didn’t make it in. I’m reapplying for the spring semester, and also NYU and Julliard.”

Once again, he reminded himself of his stupid carelessness in only submitting for one school and was determined not to make the same mistake twice. Rachel might be able to get away with putting all her eggs in one basket, but it always came back to bite him.

“So, you’re working at Vogue until you start school?” she asked.

“No, I really do enjoy working here,” Kurt insisted. “And I’m hoping to keep my job after I start classes. But as much as I love fashion, I absolutely live for singing and acting. I can’t imagine not doing that in some capacity.”

Melanie didn’t say anything for a moment, as if collecting her thoughts while appraising Kurt carefully. She was clearly thinking about sometime and seemed to by trying to figure out just what she wanted to say.

“Listen, Kurt… If someone offered you a small part in, let’s say a tiny independent film that probably would only been seen at a few festivals… would that be something that might interest you?” she asked.

Kurt froze in place, taken by surprise by her query and wasn’t quite sure if she was being serious. “Is this a hypothetical question?” he asked, not daring himself into reading more into her question.

She shook her head. “I have a friend who’s directing his first film and it’s set to start shooting in just a few weeks,” she explained. “He’s in a bit of a bind because one of the actors just quit at the last minute and he’s pretty desperate to cast someone who’s available on short notice. I read the script and I think you might be a good fit for the part.

“Now I don’t have all the details, but I know that it’s a pretty short shoot. And you’d definitely be paid, even if it’s only scale. I’m sure that the production company would pay for your SAG registration and the job would count towards your membership points. If you’re interested, I can make a few calls and see if we can get you a screen test.”

Kurt smiled, not sure if he dared hope that this was real, but he nodded. It didn’t hurt to at least try. “Sure. I’d love to.”

Melanie grinned and quickly pulled out her cell phone. “Let me get in touch with Stephen and see about getting that screen test set up. Don’t go anywhere!” she ordered.

That evening found Kurt in a car with Melanie heading for the film studios in Astoria once she was done for the day. Once they were on one of the empty film studios, Kurt was handed a page from the script wit the dialogue for his character highlighted. A forty-year-old man with a beard that wouldn’t look out of place on a lumberjack was commandeered to read the lines for his character’s mother, and it was all Kurt could do not to burst out laughing as they read through the dialogue the first time. They did a few takes and then the video was emailed to the director to review in the morning.

Melanie seemed thrilled with out things went as they walked out of the studio. “Stephen is going to absolutely love you!” she exclaimed happily, hanging onto his arm. “You are a total natural. Come on… let me take you out of dinner. My treat.”

“That’s really nice of you, but you don’t have to,” Kurt insisted, not wanting to take advantage of her generosity. Just getting a screen test was exciting, even if nothing came of it. It had come out of the blue and he was still trying to wrap his mind around the idea that it had happened at all.

“Don’t be silly,” she admonished, refusing to release her grasp on his arm. “I have to get back into Manhattan to my hotel and we need to eat. I know this little place nearby that has the most amazing Cuban food. We have to celebrate this.”

Realizing that he couldn’t deny her, Kurt decided that it was better to just go along. At least he’d be getting a good dinner.

He didn’t arrive back at the loft until nearly midnight, a bit tipsy from the wine that Melanie had ordered. Rachel was already asleep, and Kurt was glad that he didn’t have to immediately answer her inevitable questions about where he’d been. He had already decided that he wasn’t going to tell Rachel about the screen test. The odds were that nothing would really come of it and the last thing he was in the mood for was another round of Rachel’s inept attempt at consoling him when all she would end up doing was inadvertently making him feel worse.

Kurt sighed as he closed the curtain to his sleeping space. He knew that Rachel meant well, but she was frankly tired of having to swallow down disappointment. At least if this didn’t work out, he’d be the only one who knew about it.

After stripping down and separating what would go in the laundry and what would warrant a trip to the dry cleaners, Kurt slipped into his bed. Tomorrow would be another day. As he drifted off to sleep, he couldn’t help from feeling a small sense of hope that maybe… just maybe… things might be working out for him.


End file.
